Let Your Bones Show
by Clara-Erobreren
Summary: When Blaine randomly transfers to McKinley one day, Kurt's perfect world is completely thrown off-kilter. Kurt views Blaine as a threat, and vows to destroy him. Kurt's not who he seems and Blaine's harboring some secrets as well. Rivalry AU.
1. How Kurt's Perfect Life Fell to Shambles

**So, this is my brain baby. It's loosely based off of the anime/manga Kare Kano. Don't know what that is? No big. Basically, Kurt lives a perfect life until Blaine comes along and threatens to destroy everything Kurt's worked for. Academic rival AU in which Kurt never attended Dalton, is popular but isn't at all who he seems, Blaine is actually a senior and is harboring some major secrets, McKinley is a respected public school, academically anyway, and two very different people must learn to work together, love, and overcome life's obstacles.**

**21 planned chapters. ****Chapters range from PG to NC-17. Kurt likes to curse, Blaine likes to angst, and I like to write smut.**

**Enjoy, read, and review!**

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><p>Kurt Hummel seems like the perfect boy. Hell, <em>person<em>. He's extremely intelligent, ranking at the top of McKinley's Class of 2012 every year. He's personable and friendly, well-liked among his peers, admired by his fellow honors classmates. He's a singer, and everyone agrees he has the voice of an angel. He's also modest, considerate, polite, and always eager to help. He's the school's resident fashionto, always up to date on the latest fashions and trends. Yes, Kurt Hummel would be the perfect person… if all that were actually Kurt Hummel.

It's not that he isn't some of these things; he's just not _most_ of them. The real Kurt Hummel is rude, manipulative, moody, and self-centered. He's smart, but he studies for hours upon hours every night to maintain his high GPA. He loves fashion, true, but at home, he'd much rather just laze around in sweats. He realized in middle school that, on top of his being flamboyantly gay (although he didn't realize _that_ at the time), that these characteristics did not a popular student make. So, when he entered his freshman year at Lima, Ohio's academically renowned William McKinley High School, he vowed that he would simply put on a façade. He was an actor, after all, so it was simple. He would just act the part that he knew people would like. And it worked.

Now, it's his senior year, and he's been quite successful. No one suspects a thing. The only people who know his secret are his family (which now encompasses the over-motherly Carole and dimwitted Finn) and his best friend, Rachel Berry, whom he trusts his secret with because she believes it to be "Tony-worthy."

He and Rachel have an interesting history. Their freshman year, they were paired up in History class for an assignment. Rachel found him to be witty, smart, friendly, and, of course, beautiful, and fell absolutely in love with him. After multiple failed attempts to woo him, Rachel finally confronted Kurt about her feelings, and Kurt finally came out. Rachel took the rejection in stride, and the two quickly became inseparable friends.

So, Kurt leads a double life, and he's quite fine with it. He finds it hilarious how well it works, actually. He gets to be himself at home while also easily obtaining the greatest reputation known to man. Others would kill to be Kurt, and he knows it.

Yes, life is perfect for the perfect Kurt Hummel.

But just one person threatens to destroy everything Kurt's worked hard for.

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><p>Blaine Anderson is a strange bird. The black sheep, if you will. While everyone in his family has beautiful, blond locks, Blaine has unruly, curly black hair. While everyone in his family is tall and lean, Blaine is short. Although he's nothing but kind and polite, it seems everyone looks down upon him for things he can't control.<p>

He's accepted his place in his family, and although he always feels different, it doesn't bother him quite as much anymore.

Blaine was raised to be dapper, a gentleman. He must mind his manners at all times, and he mustn't ever be rude or impatient.

He's naturally smart and very talented. He barely has had to work at all to maintain his place at the top of Dalton Academy of Westerville's Class of 2012. He was playing the piano before he could put together full sentences, singing before he was speaking, and asking for violin lessons before he finished elementary school. Blaine doesn't exactly have to _try_ to be perfect, he just _is._

He does try, however, to make his parents proud. Because of how the rest of the family views him. Because he's incredibly different. His father is stern, hard to please, while his mother is passive and indifferent. So Blaine tries hard to put a smile on their face. It seems that no matter what he does, it never works.

Blaine doesn't exactly _do_ friends. He was transferred to Dalton in the middle of his freshman year due to extreme bullying and he just never fit into a group there. He was the lead singer of their show choir, The Warblers, and he got along well with his fellow club members for the most part. However, anytime they would go out to celebrate or to just hang, Blaine always politely declined their invitations.

It wasn't that he didn't like them, per se. He loved performing more than anything else, and he loved performing with them. There was just always something to do: a new online class at the local university to take, a new instrument to learn, a new language to master. Something that would eventually put those wide grins on his parent's faces. But it never did. Nothing was ever good enough.

So, it is with a disinterested heart when his parents inform him that they are moving due to a job transfer, and Blaine must leave his place at Dalton Academy for public school a few hours away in Lima.

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><p>Blaine would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. When Blaine walks through the slightly rusted doors on the first day, he immediately adjusts his bow-tie with shaking fingers and shoots the people around him a friendly smile. All he receives in return are cool glares and skeptical glances. Well, he certainly isn't at Dalton anymore.<p>

He wanders around, looking for his locker, gnawing at the inside of his lip when he finds it. Or what might be it. There's a group of female students in the way, laughing and talking. They're wearing short red skirts and flipping their ponytails excessively, and one is smacking her gum so loud, it makes Blaine cringe. He clears his throat and when they look over at him, he grins.

"Excuse me, but I do believe my locker is where you are standing."

The girls all shoot each other a glance before bursting into giggles. Blaine frowns and shifts on his feet, trying to politely catch their attention with more throat clearing.

"Cool it, hobbit," one of the girls, a slim Latina, snaps at him. "We'll be done gossiping in a second, and you can have at your precious locker."

Blaine can do nothing but stare at her with wide eyes, completely taken aback by her behavior, and she smirks at the look on his face before returning to braid a taller blonde's hair.

"Santana, darling," he hears a high voice behind him say sternly. "Stop picking on the new kid. "

The girls immediately quiet down, shooting the person behind him sheepish smiles. The Latina girl, who Blaine guesses as Santana, rolls her eyes but leads the group away. Blaine immediately turns around to see who helped him, and he inhales sharply at the beautiful, Elfin-like boy standing in front of him. He's dressed to the nines, despite being at a disgusting public school where girls wear Uggs with shorts, and his hair is coiffed perfectly. His face is glowingly flawless, and the smug look he wears is one of extreme confidence. Blaine is only half aware that he's gaping and moving his mouth something akin to a fish.

"No need to thank me," Elfin-boy teases and gives a tinkling, musical laugh, and Blaine's positive it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. It snaps out Blaine out of his reverie.

"Thank you, really. I-I'm sorry, you caught me off guard," Blaine quickly explains, smiling at the boy in front of him. He holds his hand out, like a proper gentleman, and introduces himself. "Blaine. Blaine Anderson."

Elfin-boy raises his eyebrow in interest as he takes Blaine's hand and shakes it. "I know. I'm Kurt Hummel, senior class president. I've known about your impending transfer for about a week or so now."

Blaine furrows his brow in confusion. "But it's the first day of-"

"Hurry and put your stuff in your locker. I'll escort you to Principal Figgins' office," Kurt interrupts smoothly, with a gentle smile, and hurry Blaine does. He tosses his books in as controlled as possible while moving quickly, not wanting to upset Kurt; the boy was extremely intimidating.

He trails behind Kurt on his way to the principal's office, smiling softly as he takes in his surroundings. It's certainly no Dalton Academy, and the florescent lighting is a bit harsh, but Blaine can definitely see himself being happy here. And maybe, just maybe, he'll finally make an impression on his parents.

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><p>Kurt throws the secretary a bright smile, and looks through the glass into Principal Figgins' office. The older Indian man has irritation etched all over his face as he reads large handbook. Kurt knocks swiftly, a musical pattern, and immediately walks in, gesturing for Blaine to follow him.<p>

"Principal Figgins, I'm so sorry to interrupt-"

"Kurt, my boy! Nonsense, nonsense. Come in, please!" Figgins booms, looking proud and excited, all traces of annoyance immediately disappearing from his face. Kurt inwardly gives himself another victory; faculty is too easy. On the outside, however, he shoots the principal a timid smile and lets Blaine into the room after him.

"This is Blaine Anderson, our new student. I thought I would bring him to you, so you could get him academically situated," Kurt says brightly, biting back at smirk at the awe-struck look on the curly haired boy's face.

"Ah, always looking out for his fellow students! Of course. Mr. Anderson, welcome to McKinley! Now, let me just pull your records up, and we can get you a schedule."

Blaine nods sharply and quickly sits down. While Figgins whistles something that Kurt recognizes as a hymn and clacks on the computer, Kurt looks over at the boy, taking in his appearance for a brief moment. His outfit screams nerdy, wearing suspenders_ and_ a bowtie is a bit much, and his curls are gelled down like a helmet. He's obviously extremely nervous; his fingers twitching to the point of looking neurotic. Despite all this, though, Kurt can't deny that Blaine's extremely attractive. He's got the whole Old Hollywood/Cary Grant thing going on. Kurt bites his lip; he's thinking it certainly wouldn't hurt to befriend this new boy when Figgins gives a strange giggle that makes him sound like a Gremlin. Kurt and Blaine share a questioning glance before Kurt plasters on his best winning smile.

"Sir?" Kurt asks politely, moving closer to the desk. "Is something wrong?"

Figgins gives another excited laugh before answering. "Oh, this is something. Something, indeed. It seems that Mr. Anderson here is quite the academic. With your cumulative GPA from Dalton Academy, you and Mr. Hummel are both tied for first in the class!"

Blaine turns to him and gives him a huge smile, Figgins is still giggling happily like a proud parent, and Kurt's smile is frozen to his face and he makes a strangled noise before gargling out, "How interesting." The bell rings just in time and Kurt quickly excuses himself, avoiding eye contact with the now enthusiastic Blaine. He practically bolts down the emptying hallway to his locker, seething despite the smiles he throws to his classmates.

No. No, no, damnit _no._ He worked too hard for this. He worked his ass off for the past three years to get where he is today and damn if some short, nerdy wonderboy was going to just waltz in here and ruin everything. He refuses to stand for it. He will _not_ stand for it, because Kurt Hummel is not one to take things lying down. He will not let Prep School Halfling with a Horrible Fashion Sense knock him off of his throne.

He slams his locker and smoothly turns on his heel, eyes burning bright with revenge. Kurt refuses to lose, and he's ready for whatever Blaine Anderson has to give.


	2. Breaking Point

**Thanks to everyone who favorited this story or put it on story alert! I'm glad you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to review to let me know what you think, what you'd like to see, etc. etc. Enjoy!**

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><p>Kurt sits in Honors English Literature, glaring at the back of a certain curly-haired boy's head. Not that anyone would notice such a harsh look on the ever happy-go-lucky Kurt Hummel's face; they're all too busy gushing over McKinley's new student.<p>

"You lived in New York? How amazing!"

"You can speak seven languages? Holy shit!"

"_How_ many instruments did you say you could play?"

"Shut up! You have family in Germany and visit them every summer?"

And Blaine is just sitting there, gobbling up the praise like some greedy child.

Kurt rolls his eyes and stares at the book in front of him. This is such bullshit. That praise is meant for him. It's rightfully his. He worked hard for that praise, for the love and adoration of his fellow impressionable students, and he absolutely despises Blaine Anderson for taking it all from him in a matter of weeks.

It's been almost a month since school started, and everyone is still fawning over the new kid. _Come the fuck on_, Kurt thinks. _He's not even that new anymore._

"-don't you think, Kurt?" he hears someone ask.

He looks up from his book with wide eyes, looking for the source. Quinn is sitting near Blaine's desk, holding her legs so her Cheerios skirt barely covers her thighs. He mentally rolls his eyes. _Even after getting pregnant last year, she still finds a way to be a whore. Christian hypocrisy at its finest,_ Kurt hisses in his head, but he smiles beautifully at her.

"My apologies, Quinn, I missed your question."

"Oh, I was just saying that Blaine here is so interesting. Almost as interesting as you!"

Everyone's giggling in agreement and Kurt has to clench his fists in order to not give her a piece of his mind. Instead, he settles for a demure laugh and says, "Oh, not that interesting!"

His classmates, of course, misinterpret his comment and giggle some more. Some even protest his remark, exclaiming that Kurt is just as interesting as Blaine and that he's entirely too modest. Once again, he's fooled them all.

However, he looks over at Blaine and sees the shorter boy staring curiously at him, almost as if he's studying him. Kurt freezes for a moment, panicked that Blaine might know his secret. However, that's completely impossible, so he relaxes and shoots the still-staring boy his best smile before returning to his book and sighing. He needs to calm down before he trips up and exposes himself.

* * *

><p>Blaine comes home that day and throws himself face down on his bed. His body is exhausted, practically melting into the mattress, but his mind is racing, so napping is certainly out of the question.<p>

He can't quite put his finger on the enigma that is Kurt Hummel. The boy is obviously well-liked, and rightfully so, as Kurt is probably one of the nicest people he's ever known. Well, he doesn't know Kurt, really. While Kurt is extremely sweet to all around him, he keeps Blaine at a cold distance, and Blaine is fairly certain he's caught Kurt glaring at him during classes.

Blaine has half the mind to think that Kurt hates him, but then Kurt will give him that perfect, bright smile that makes his knee tremble and there's no way Kurt could hate him.

But then why won't Kurt talk to him?

He's not exactly having _boy-problems_, per se, but this is pretty close, seeing as Blaine is just as confused about his feelings for Kurt as he is about Kurt's thoughts on him. He wishes he had someone to talk to this about, like his mom.

He sighs, rolling onto his back to stare at his ceiling. His mother. His terse, tense mother. He chuckles bitterly at the mere idea of talking to his mom about his sexuality.

He remembers when he came out to his parents a few years ago, when he was fourteen. While his father merely glared at Blaine and left the room, his mother had just sat there, completely silent, until Blaine moved towards her, teary-eyed and pleading, causing her to flee. Ever since that day, his parents hadn't looked at him the same.

Blaine is definitely gay. He's extremely proud of it, too; proud to be a part of a community, proud to be different. Or well, he usually is. It's so hard to be comfortable with yourself when your parents and family look down on you because of who you are.

His parents had informed the other family members of his 'predicament', as they all called it. Although most, like his parents, pretend it never happened, others still refuse to let it go. The first summer after coming out, his aunt and uncle in Germany offered to pay to send him to conversion camp until he was better, normal, and straight. Everyone else who disagrees with his lifestyle just calls him "fag" and "queer" when addressing him or ordering him around.

It hurts. Blaine has spent many nights crying himself to sleep, wishing upon star after star that things would change for him. Slowly, indifference settled within him. He couldn't care less about what his family thinks about him. His parents, however… His parents' approval is what drives him. That's why he decided that he would try harder than ever to be the perfect son. If he was the perfect son, then his sexuality wouldn't matter. If his sexuality didn't matter, then he would make his parents proud again.

He's in a daze when he hears a knock on his bedroom door.

"Blaine, dinner!" his mother calls, almost bored as if it's past the point of routine, through the thick wood. He opens his mouth to answer, but he can tell she's already gone.

He squeezes his eyes tightly shut, biting back tears. He's trying so hard, so incredibly hard. But why is nothing working?

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><p>"Dude, you're <em>studying<em>? It's a Saturday!"

Kurt sighs in irritation, looking up from the massive pile of books open on his bed. He runs a hand through his unstyled, messy hair and looks up at the door where Finn is standing.

"You act like this is news to you or something," Kurt snaps. "I study every single day. And it would do you some good if you studied, too."

Finn makes a face like he's just taste something bad at Kurt's suggestion, but doesn't budge from the doorway. Kurt is quickly losing what little patience he had to begin with.

"I just don't know why you try so hard. Come on, man, take a break. Play some video games with me!"

"Finn, seriously. Leave me alone to study and go throw a fucking basketball at your ceiling or jack off or something."

Kurt immediately returns to his books while Finn stands there with a look of utmost confusion on his face.

"How did you know that's what I-"

"FINN!" Kurt growls, picking up a book to throw at the door, but Finn's running down the hallway and slamming his door shut.

"Jesus, how the hell did I get such a nimwit for a step-brother?" Kurt mumbles to himself as he writes down some notes on passé compose. And to think, a few years ago, he had been infatuated with Finn. Kurt snorts at the memory. Oh, how times have changed.

He groans, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and glances at the clock. He has been studying for close to five hours, and although he was fine before, the realization of it makes his mind bleary. Deciding a break and a snack is well deserved, he trudges down the stairs in his favorite pair of black, baggy sweat pants with a hole in the right thigh and a McKinley hoodie to the kitchen, where he finds his father grabbing a beer from a fridge.

"Well, someone is comfortable," Burt comments as he looks up at his teenage son. Kurt rolls his eyes and grabs a large bag of Chex Mix from the pantry.

"There's no one to impress at home, Dad."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. No reason to get defensive, kiddo," his dad says from inside the fridge, a tired tone in his voice like he's had this conversation many times before.

Kurt stands against the counter, chewing his trail mix loudly, and Burt leans against the stove across from him, looking at his son curiously as he sips on his beer. Kurt looks up with his eyebrow arched and gestures his hands out in a silent 'what'.

"I'm just wondering when you're going to give this up," Burt starts hesitantly, as if every word is a land mine. Kurt scoffs and digs out another handful.

"I don't see why you and Carole are so pushy about me and my so-called double life," Kurt interrupts, mouth filled with half-chewed pretzels, crackers, and Chex. Burt shakes his head, sighing as he sips his beer.

"Because that's what it is: a double life, Kurt. Aren't you tired of being a different person all the time? Wearing a mask? How do you even know who really likes you for you?"

Kurt shrugs, clearly disinterested. "I'm not exactly concerned with who likes me for me. What I'm doing is working for me just fine, like it has for the past three years. Senior year is no different, Dad. Jeez, let up already."

Burt's eyes flash angrily. "Hey, don't talk to me like that. I'm your father, and I'm just trying to help."

Kurt looks up at his dad with a raised eyebrow. "This is one of those times where you leaving me alone about it helps more than you trying to do anything."

He grabs another large handful of Chex Mix and tosses the bag on the counter before heading back up to his room, crumbs spilling in his wake. Burt sighs as Carole walks into the room and kisses him on the cheek.

"Any luck?" she asks softly and Burt shakes his head. "No worries, we'll get there."

Burt looks up in the direction of Kurt's room and can't help but feel that his wife is extremely wrong.

* * *

><p>"I just don't understand why you can't stand him. He's perfectly nice!"<p>

"You mean perfectly _awful_. Rachel, I've never seen so many bowties and suspenders used so many times as an outfit since Steve Urkel."

Rachel smirks at him. "You think he's cute."

"Ew, no." Kurt fake gags to prove his point and turns to his friend. She rolls her eyes before casting a glance around the choir room, making sure that no one is listening.

"It's because of your… well, you know, _thing_, isn't it?"

"Jesus, Rachel," Kurt snorts. "You make it sound like an illness."

"I'm just saying it makes sense. He's threatening to ruin your glorified reputation that you have slaved over for ages. I don't blame you. I mean, I would certainly feel that way as well if someone suddenly appeared that was competition for my solos."

"Rachel-"

"Well, we both know that will never happen. But if it did-"

"Rachel!"

"-I would dedicate myself to ridding my world of that person because I just cannot allow for there to be someone better than me after all the hard work I've put into my singing. I just can_not_. Especially after-"

"Rachel! Shut up already and look who just walked into the room!" Kurt hisses, eyes trained on the door.

Rachel huffs and bristles, but freezes as soon as she follows his line of sight. For standing right there, in all his nerd-chic glory, is none other than Blaine Anderson, chatting excitedly with Mr. Schuester as they walk to the center of the room.

"Guys, I have a wonderful announcement!" Their teacher yells over their incessant chatter as he claps his hands together excitedly and motions to Blaine to stand next to him. "This is Blaine Anderson, and he's your newest glee club member."

Everyone claps excitedly, yelling and hollering their approval. Kurt feels like he's about to vomit, all of the blood has drained from his face, and Rachel squeaks and grabs his hand.

"I cannot believe he's going to take _this _away from you, too…"

"I should have known," Kurt mutters continuously under his breath as Rachel continues to whisper hurriedly into his ear.

"… And you are obviously the best male vocalist we have. This is just ridiculous," Rachel finishes her monologue, shaking her head in pity. She perks up and nudges Kurt in the side. "Cheer up, Charlie, he's about to sing and I bet he's _awful_!"

Kurt slowly starts to feel better at this idea and trains his eyes on Blaine, whose smile is so wide and bright, Kurt's certain he's about to explode.

"Hi, guys," Blaine begins, practically bouncing in his canvas shoes. "I'm really excited to be here, and I'm going to sing 'Fly Me to the Moon' by Frank Sinatra."

"Ol' Blue Eyes! Nice!" Mr. Schuester exclaims from his stool in the corner and Kurt has to roll his eyes. Even the damn teacher is a suck up. Blaine flashes him an excited smile before turning to the front, bouncing his foot along with the beat of the band.

"_Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars._

_Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars._

_In other words, hold my hand._

_In other words, baby, kiss me."_

Blaine grins charmingly as he snaps and sways back and forth with the music, hamming it up.

"_Fill my heart with song, and let me sing forever more._

_You are all I long for, all I worship and adore._

_In other words, please be true._

_In other words, I love you."_

Kurt's jaw drops and he's no longer listening because holy shit, Blaine is _good_. Not just decent, or pretty good, or great compared to the rest of New Directions… Blaine's _amazing_. Really fucking amazing. Rachel squirms next to him and he can feel her internal war; she loves the performance, but is trying not to swoon for Kurt's sake, and although the notion is commendable, it just makes him want to strangle Blaine more.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Kurt mumbles as Blaine continues to dance and sing, making his way around the front row of the risers. Mr. Schue is loving it, smiling proudly, and all the other members of the glee club just think this is the best thing since sliced bread.

Blaine does a quick spin on his heel and turns gracefully, which everyone goes crazy for, as he throws out his arms and belts out the last few notes of the song.

"_In other words, please be true! _

_In other words, in other words,_

_I love you_."

Kurt grits his teeth and reluctantly rises with the rest of the club as everyone jumps to their feet, clapping enthusiastically. It's the exact same reaction Kurt always gets when he sings, except it's not his anymore. It's Blaine's. All Blaine. Always Blaine. This is the last straw, he decides.

Blaine Anderson must be destroyed.


	3. Revelation

**Thanks for all the amazing feedback, seriously! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you all have just as much fun reading it. Don't forget to let me know what you all think!**

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><p>Kurt hates a lot of things.<p>

He hates artificial cherry-flavored everything. He hates action movies. He hates the smell of onions, nosy neighbors, homophobia, people who wear brown and black together, people who sing off-pitch.

But most of all, Kurt hates Blaine.

Kurt is quite the proud man. He's proud of his sexuality, his grades, his voice, his reputation. He's grown up getting what he wanted, when he wanted, and nothing has ever stood in his way.

Until a short, attractive, curly-haired freak came along and knocked him right out of the picture.

Kurt feels used and unwanted walking around school now. Sure, people still look up to him and admire him, but it's not the same. He knows who they prefer. And it's all Blaine's fault. And Kurt's really getting tired of it.

But it's not until he checks up on his class rank that he snaps.

"The one and only Rachel Berry speaking. Who is this and how may I help you?"

Kurt sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Rachel, you know it's me. I have my own ringtone _and_ you have caller ID."

"That's irrelevant. I need to get into the habit and habits are made by practice. _You_ should know that, of all people."

"Right, right, you're right."

"I know I am. Now, what's going on?"

He takes a deep breath, unsure of how to say this. This… this is huge. Saying it out loud means he admits it; it means it's true. Kurt's not really ready for that step but he needs to tell someone.

"Kurt?" Rachel presses, voice thick with concern.

"Rachel, I… I'm not… I'm not at the top."

"Wait, what?"

"Please don't make me say it again."

"Well, you have to, because I'm really confused."

"Ugh. Fine. I'm… I'm not number one in the class anymore." He hears Rachel gasp and he closes his eyes, heart thumping wildly. "Blaine's finally beaten me, Rach. I'm number two. I'm a failure!"

"No! No, Kurt, you are not a failure! Blaine Anderson will _not_ beat you, Kurt. You need to destroy him!"

"I know," Kurt whines. "I know. I've been trying to think of ways to destroy him but he's just so fucking perfect!"

"No, he's not."

Kurt pauses, confused as to where his friend is going with this.

"You're perfect, too, but you're really not," Rachel continues. "I bet Blaine is the same way. He's a human, Kurt. He's flawed. You just need to find his weakness, pull a Paris, and whack his head off!"

"I'm pretty sure Paris shot Achilles in the heel."

"Irrelevant!" Rachel screeches, and Kurt has to pull his cell phone away from his ear.

"Okay, okay, damn. How do I find out his weakness, though?"

"Well, um, get to know him and use information that way? Or we could spy on him? Or both?"

Kurt nods in thought. "I vote you get close to him, and I spy from afar. I just really cannot stand the thought of spending more time with him than I already have to. Actually, I refuse to, so yes, you go be Blaine Anderson's new best friend or something."

"Ugh. When you put it like that, I'd rather we _both_ just spy. So, got any ideas?"

Kurt grins wickedly.

"Actually, I have just the plan."

* * *

><p>"Really, Kurt? <em>This<em> is your grand idea?"

Kurt hushes her as he peers around a corner as inconspicuously as possible.

"This is idiotic! We're standing in the hallway dressed in brown trench coats, fedoras, and sunglasses. We're about as obvious as-"

"Rachel! Just shut up! If you were so worried about us getting caught, then you would shut your mouth and stop squawking!"

Rachel huffs but accepts defeat and adjusts her fedora so it's tilted over her eyes.

"Alright, so the plan for Operation: Assassinate Anderson-"

"Wait, that's _seriously_ the plan's name?"

"Every great plan name has to have alliteration, Rachel," Kurt sniffs haughtily and then continues. "The plan is to follow Blaine home. See where he lives, the kind of people he associates with, what he does when the school day is over. The more we can possibly take and twist into a juicy rumor, the better," Kurt whispers to her, side-eying the hallway.

"You're awful," Rachel practically squeals, a grin on her face.

Kurt shrugs nonchalantly as he peers around the hallway, spotting a short figure with curly hair prancing away from the choir room. "There he is! Rachel, Operation: Assassinate Anderson is a go!" he hisses as he quickly runs down the hallway, flipping the collar of his trench coat up to hide the sides of his face, Rachel running quickly behind him.

They pause behind every available corner, keeping careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. Hopping in Rachel's silver Honda (they decided Kurt's Navigator was a bit obvious), they follow Blaine out of the school parking lot and toward the northern part of Lima.

"Kurt," Rachel whines. "He's heading to the _nice_ part of town. He's going home to his fancy mansion, I bet. This will never work! Let's just go home and watch 'A Star is Born' again."

"You don't know that!" Kurt snaps. "For all we know, he could be buying drugs from a housewife! Haven't you ever seen Weeds? Jesus, Rachel, I swear."

Rachel throws Kurt a skeptical glance but keeps driving, eyes trained on the car in front of them. As Blaine turns into the parking lot of a shopping center, Kurt is on the edge of his seat.

"Go, Rachel, go! This is a development!"

"Kurt! Stop hitting my arm! I'm going as fast as I can! Do you want him to find us out?"

Kurt practically growls as Rachel haphazardly parks a few spaces down from Blaine and throws himself out of the car, entirely too anxious to see that Blaine is headed towards…

"A bookstore?" Rachel asks, extremely unimpressed. "Kurt, come on. This just got ridiculous."

Kurt gapes at the large building in front of him, and shakes his head as he grabs Rachel's arm and heads to the entrance. "Sure, this is a slight bump in our plans, but who knows what he could be buying in there, Rachel! Come on, we're doing this."

They enter the building, making sure their disguises are in place, and begin to cower behind the tall shelves, looking around for where Blaine could have gone.

Suddenly, Kurt bumps into something, and he turns around to glare but finds himself face to face with Blaine himself. He freezes, panic racing through him.

"Kurt?" Blaine asks, squinting as he leans forward, trying to get a good look at the face hidden in the trench coat.

"Uh…"

"Kurt, what are you doing? We have to…. Oh," Rachel finishes dumbly as she sees who Kurt is talking to. She gulps as she walks toward them, ignoring Kurt's hand gestures for her to leave.

"Hello, there, Blaine!" She greets with over the top fake sincerity. Kurt has to bite back a groan.

"Hi, Rachel, Kurt," Blaine replies with a wide smile, looking over at Kurt and biting his lip when Kurt doesn't answer. He's still too in shock. How could this be happening? "Um, what are you guys doing here?"

"Buying books, of course!" Rachel laughs nervously, grabbing the nearest book… which happens to be a Christian self-help book. Kurt wishes a hole would appear in the floor and swallow him up. Blaine raises an eyebrow, but politely doesn't point anything out. He looks them both over, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Wait… in trench coats?"

Rachel's laugh stops short and she's fishing for an excuse when Kurt suddenly blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.

"Flash mob!"

Rachel looks at him with wide eyes while Blaine grins widely.

"A flash mob? That's so cool! When?"

"Um, right now, actually, so we've got to go. It was nice running into you!" Kurt rushes out, pushing Rachel away, but Blaine's right behind him.

"This is so cool. The Warblers, that's the glee club I was in at Dalton, would do flash mobs all the time. I mean, just at school, though. We were definitely never brave enough to perform outside of Dalton. But they're so much fun! Have you done one before? What song are you guys doing? I hope you don't mind if I watch. I wish I could participate!" Blaine rambles, trailing along so closely he keeps stepping on the backs of Kurt's shoes.

Kurt curses under his breath. This is not going according to plan at all. He needs to think of an escape route and fast. Suddenly, Rachel is standing in front of him, eyes hard and issuing him a challenge. He has no choice but to allow her control the situation and follow her lead.

They stand in the center of the bookstore and begin to dance. They're dancing differently; Rachel's opted for pirouettes and Kurt's doing jazz squares. There's no music. Everyone in the bookstore has stopped to stare at them, trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with these children, and Blaine's grin is just as bright as ever. Kurt closes his eyes behind his sunglasses, dying from embarrassment. Of course he would end up making a fool of himself of front of his rival. Damn this plan. Damn it to hell.

Finally, Rachel begins to sing in Hebrew and drags Kurt into a kick-line before she ends it in the splits, Kurt awkwardly standing bent over above her, hand still connected to her shoulder. Blaine claps enthusiastically, and Kurt helps Rachel up with a lot more force than necessary.

"That was really good!" Blaine says excitedly, and Kurt wants to punch him in the face. He holds up a large stack of books that Kurt's just now noticing. "Well, I'm going to go pay for these books. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow!"

Blaine prances off to the check-out counter. As soon as he's gone, Kurt growls angrily and turns to Rachel, who's grinning.

"That was so much fun!"

* * *

><p>Kurt sits in glee club, trying to hide his face. Operation: Assassinate Anderson had gone <em>horribly <em>wrong the day before, and Kurt can't help but feel that Blaine _knows_. He had to have known. That impromptu flash mob was probably the most pathetic thing ever. Blaine seemed to have fallen for it, but there was no way he really did. While he refuses to admit Blaine could possibly be more intelligent than him, Kurt knows Blaine isn't _that_ stupid.

"Hey Kurt! Hey Rachel!" Blaine appears next to them, smiling brightly. "I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your flash mob yesterday. You should do those more often! I'd love to join in!"

Kurt offers Blaine a tight smile as Blaine goes to his seat. He can't believe it. Maybe Blaine _is_ that stupid.

"Good afternoon, guys!" Mr. Schue greets, and receives a mumbled response. With a flourish, he produces a top hat. "We're starting a new assignment today. All of your names are in this top hat. One by one, you'll come up here and draw a name. That name will be your duet partner, alright? Awesome! Santana, you're up first!"

Kurt throws Rachel a smirk and she grins in return. She knows that whatever name he draws out of that hat, he'll say Rachel, and no one will question him. They've been partners for every duet assignment since they joined glee club their freshman year, and he knows they'll blow everyone out of the water _again_. He's running through duets in his head, trying to figure out what they _haven't_ done, when he hears his name and he snaps his head to the front.

"Pardon?" he asks, looking at Mr. Schue, who's grinning and pointing to-

"Kurt! You're my partner!" Blaine exclaims, waving the slip of paper in the air, and Kurt can't even stop himself from throwing his head back against the wall.

* * *

><p>"So, what song do you want to sing?" Blaine asks Kurt, and he gets a simple shrug from the boy, who's flipping through a songbook.<p>

He bites his lip. When he drew Kurt's name from the hat, he had been extremely excited to perform with Kurt. He daydreams about his voice and what it would be like to sing with him almost daily. But the response he's gotten has been less than enthusiastic. Blaine's starting to wonder if there's something wrong with him.

"I'm not really sure," Kurt eventually answers, biting his lip. "There are a lot of choices here. We can either do a male-male duet or a female-male duet. Or we could just take a solo, break it up, add some harmony… I think that's our best bet."

"Well, I'm certain whatever we choose, you'll sound amazing. You always do," Blaine says earnestly, blushing slightly at his own compliment. He hopes he's not _too_ obvious, but Kurt just flashes him a polite smile. Conflict tugs inside Blaine; he's disappointed because he wants Kurt to notice, and he's also relieved because Kurt_ didn't _notice.

Kurt happily exclaims that he's found them a song, and as he sits at the piano to pick out his harmony, all Blaine can do is stare and sigh dreamily. Yes, hopefully he's not _too_ obvious.

* * *

><p>It's a Friday evening, and Kurt's lounging comfortably on the couch. His favorite torn sweat pants are on, a beanie on his head, making sure he'll have major hat hair the next day, and he's got a stain on his white shirt from dinner, but he doesn't really care. The TV is on, but he's not really paying attention because it's his designated study hour.<p>

"Hey, man, I'm going to McDonalds. Want anything?"

Kurt groans at being interrupted and looks up from his chemistry book to find Finn standing in the living room doorway.

"I already ate," Kurt says, turning back to his book. "You did, too, if I recall. At the dinner table. Less than two hours ago."

"Yeah, yeah," Finn sighs. "But grilled chicken tastes so boring. I just really want a double bacon cheeseburger."

Kurt's mouth waters a little at the idea, but he has to keep his slim figure; it's part of his appearance. He rolls his eyes, but of course, Finn can see right through him.

"What if you just eat, like, half of one?" Finn asks, a sly smile on his face. "I won't tell anyone. I know how much you preach healthy eating to our friends, so your secret would be safe with me."

Kurt looks up at his step-brother like he's a godsend and grins. "Okay, go, go!"

Finn lets out a whoop and heads out of the house, slamming the door loudly. Kurt shakes his at the noise, and looks at the TV for a moment, only to find that Finn has left his wallet sitting on the coffee table. "Of fucking course," he mumbles as he grabs it. He goes to stand by the front door, locking it with a smirk on his face as he waits.

Finally, he hears a knock and his smirk grows.

"That's right. Your fucking fat-ass only cares about your precious food and you completely forgot your wallet. How the fuck were you going to pay for them, Finn? With your good looks? I think not. Now, tell me how fucking amazing I am and beg for me to open this door and return it to you, or else _neither_ of us gets to eat those fucking delicious lardburgers."

He's met with complete silence.

"Finn?" he asks, completely confused, as he unlocks the door and opens it, only to come face to face with-

"K-Kurt? Is that… is that _you_?" Blaine asks, eyes wide with bewilderment. Kurt's jaw drops as he looks at Blaine, and then down at himself, and then back at Blaine. His ears are thumping with his pulse and his throat is dry. His mouth moves but he can't form any words. Suddenly, a smirk forms on Blaine's face. _A smirk_.

He's completely fucked.


	4. Ultimatums

**Thanks for the exciting feedback everyone! Sorry I took so long to get this up, I've been sick. And even though I took the day off, I totally just slept. UGH. Anyways, here's the next installment. I'd say it's still at a PG-13 rating due to Kurt's cursing. Also, there's some Hummelberry BFF-ship and Blaingst, too. Things get interesting here. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Kurt stands there, eyes wide, jaw set tight. He's hoping this is some awful dream; that he'll wake up at any moment. But then, Blaine's smirk just grows wider, and he wants to die.<p>

"You know, I think it'd be wise for you to let me in right now," Blaine challenges, his eyebrow raised and Kurt gulps as he opens the door wider, allowing Blaine to move swiftly past him. He shuts the door and presses his face to the cold wood, wishing for a rewind button.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to stop by and see if you were interested in practicing our duet. By the way, I heard what you were saying before you opened the door," Blaine mentions off-handedly from behind him, and Kurt freezes at the tone of Blaine's voice. It's calculating and filled with contempt. The boy laughs bitterly and Kurt turns slowly to face him. "It's really funny to me, because the Kurt _I _know, the Kurt _I'm _friends with, wouldn't talk like that. And he especially wouldn't dress like this." Blaine gestures at Kurt's ensemble, and Kurt crosses his arms, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. "Be honest with me, Kurt. Who _are_ you?"

"_This_ is me, Anderson. Foul-mouthed, sloppy dressed… all of it. And _honestly_, it's _none_ of your fucking business because _I_ certainly don't consider you a friend. So, it'd be _greatly_ appreciated if you got the fuck out of my house right now," Kurt snaps, glaring daggers at Blaine, who steps back at Kurt's cold tone. He quickly recovers, however, and smirks, crossing his arms.

"So, you're telling me that the Kurt that I know, and that the whole school knows, is a complete fake?" Blaine shakes his head, clicking his tongue while his smirk never leaves. Kurt hardens his stance and clenches his fist, ready to literally kick Blaine out. However, Blaine turns on his heel and walks into the living room, and Kurt growls as he follows.

"You know," Blaine continues. "If I were you, I certainly wouldn't be threatening _me_. I hold a lot of power over you-"

"Oh, really?" Kurt scoffs, crossing his arms as he stares down Blaine. "And what exactly could a poor, pathetic creature like _you_ hold over _me_?"

Blaine whistles low and raises his eyebrows.

"Wow, you certainly have been hiding _this_ part of yourself."

"Fuck off."

"Do you like digging yourself into holes, Hummel? You're really quick to be extremely rude to the person who holds the key to your precious reputation."

Kurt freezes, eyebrows raising in question.

"I'll ask you again, Anderson," Kurt says, his voice cold, trying not to betray the slight panic he feels. "What could you _possibly_ ever hold over me?"

"I seriously doubt any of your precious minions have ever seen this side of you. If you push me the wrong way, I could make sure they find out really easily."

"They'd never believe you," Kurt quickly counters.

"You and I both know that's a lie. I may not be a manipulative, arrogant, or a complete phony like you, but even _I_ know how much the student body looks up to me. Much like they _used_ to look up to you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I wouldn't? And what makes you think that? Give me one good reason why I wouldn't. You've been nothing but rude to me since I knocked on your door. Actually, you've been extremely rude to me since you found out we were tied for first in our class. I'm certainly not stupid, Kurt. It's obvious you find me to be a threat. And you're just as much of a threat to me when it comes to academics. So, no, really, I definitely would dare."

Kurt switches his balance to his other foot, crossing his arms uncomfortably. He's trapped. He's completely trapped and Blaine knows it, smirk of triumphant plastered on his face.

"What do you want from me?" Kurt asks, voice soft with defeat.

"To do my bidding. Be my slave. Do as I say."

Kurt's eyes grow wide and he takes a step back.

"Okay, seriously, I knew you were strange, but I had no idea you were some kind of pervert. There is _no_ way I'm doing that shit. I may be a manipulative bastard to you, but I still have self-respect and I'll take my reputation going to hell over being your fucking sex slave, Anderslut. Hell to the fucking no."

"What?" The curly boy sputters, turning bright red. "No, no! I… oh, god. I totally didn't mean it that way!"

"What did you mean then?" Kurt asks coolly and Blaine clears his throat, going back to business despite the blush still clear on his face.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, being in all honor classes is such hard work. And with glee club, being on the student council as well as various other clubs, and my own personal responsibilities on top of that, I can get quite busy. I see no reason why you can't assist me with my homework. I have about four essays due next week, along with a research paper the week after that. Not to mention countless assignments. I certainly could use your help. I'll supervise, of course, because I wouldn't actually trust you with my schoolwork if I left it with you alone."

Kurt stares up at Blaine with incredulous eyes.

"You want me to do your _homework_ for you? But that's… that's like cheating! Academic dishonesty! Rule number one in the McKinley student handbook!"

"I really don't think _you're_ in the position to judge me on dishonesty, Kurt," Blaine challenges, eyes flashing dark and Kurt bites his lip. "So, do you agree to this or not? Keep in mind what will happen if you say no."

Kurt nods after a few moments of hesitancy. Blaine's seen too much, knows too much. Kurt is under his thumb with no chance of escaping, and both he and Blaine are well aware of it.

"Great!" Blaine exclaims, back to his usual chipperness, and he begins to walk back toward the front door. "We'll begin Monday, after glee rehearsal. I'll see my way out. Tell Finn I said hello!"

Kurt just stands there in shocked silence, even after he hears the front door close, even after he hears Blaine's car start and pull out of the driveway, even after Finn comes home and questions him before heading to the kitchen with a concerned look on his face, arms filled with food. It's a tough pill to swallow, but swallow it he does.

He's being blackmailed by Blaine Anderson.

* * *

><p>Kurt's in the exact same classes as Blaine; he has the exact same assignments as Blaine. So, because of their daily slave sessions, as Kurt likes to call them, Kurt is doing double the work: his own and Blaine's.<p>

Unfortunately, Blaine is quite particular about the work Kurt does, and Kurt's quickly finding out that nothing he does is good enough.

"That phrasing doesn't work."

"What are you even trying to _say_ here?"

"You know, when you were given this ultimatum, it didn't mean you could half-ass my essays on purpose, Hummel."

"Don't throw that calculator down! You're not even _trying_! We're in the same calculus class, Kurt, I know you know this!"

Kurt's slowly going completely insane. With gritting teeth, he erases his answers and molds them to Blaine's liking. He's doing his best to ignore Blaine's complaining and just do what he has to, but he'd be a liar if he said he wasn't irritated beyond belief. His irritation only gets worse as he stays up into the early morning hours, catching up on his own homework and studying, throwing his sleeping schedule to the wind. His nerves are constantly being pulled past their stretching point and he's sure they're going to snap at any moment.

The following Saturday, a week after Blaine's discovery, Kurt's lying face down in his bed, too tired to even move, much less study as he usually does. Finn has reached past the point of concerned with this suspicious behavior and calls over the one person who can help.

Kurt groans when he hears a knock on his door. "Finn, please go away. I'm too tired to play video games."

"Not Finn!" A bright voice calls from his now open doorway. He turns his head and opens an eye to find Rachel standing there, a serious look on his face. He groans even louder as he throws his head back into his mattress.

"Damnit, who called you over here?" He asks into his pillow as he feels the bed dip beside him.

"Finn did, because he was worried about you. And I can see why. I know you like to be lazy at home, but this is ridiculous, Kurt. Not to mention," she says sternly as he pushes him continuously until he rolls over on his back to face her. "You look like shit."

"Wow. Thanks," Kurt mumbles, closing his eyes, and she sighs.

"I'm just saying, you don't look good at all. In fact, you look kind of ill. How much sleep have you gotten?"

"Um, about ten hours?" Kurt calculates in his head.

"Oh, well that's not- wait, ten hours this entire _week_?"

Kurt just nods and Rachel gasps, quickly turning into a mother hen.

"Kurt! You know how important a good night's sleep is! What in the world could possibly cause you to get that little of sleep, Kurt?" She huffs as she fusses over him, trying to get him to properly lie in his bed. She's still talking as she grabs him another blanket from his closet. "You're going to kill over, you know that, right? Oh god, what if you get insanely sick and then you can't sing your solo at Sectionals this year and then we lose or even worse, Mr. Schue gives it to Blaine instead of just letting me have two solos! Spill, now!"

Kurt hides his head underneath the blanket, debating whether not he should say anything.

"Does this have anything to do with you staying after glee rehearsal with Blaine every day?" Rachel asks softly, and Kurt is quite surprised as how perceptive she is. She gasps again. "Oh my god, are you having an _affair_ with him?"

Kurt groans again, the thought of Rachel being percipient immediately disappearing. He throws the blanket off and gives her an annoyed look.

"No, Rachel, I'm not having an _affair_ with him," Kurt explains, rolling his eyes. "If you insist on prying-"

"And, obviously, I do."

"I am spending my afternoons with Blaine doing homework," Kurt finishes over her interruption, glaring at her. He's answered her question while remaining as vague as possible. She rolls his eyes, however, clearly not buying it.

"Kurt, I've been your best friend for years now. We're practically the same person. I know how much you hate Blaine. As if you would be _willing_ to spend your time with him outside of school, especially to do _homework_ together. Stop lying to me, and tell me the whole story."

Kurt sighs. He should have known that Rachel would've been able to see right through him. He throws his hands over his eyes, trying to rub out the tension in his head as he tries to think of where to begin.

"Well, last weekend, I was sitting at home and someone knocked on the door. I originally thought it was Finn, because he left his wallet here, and I had locked him out. But when I opened it, it was Blaine. Basically, he saw me in my home environment."

"No!" Rachel gasps. "You mean… he saw the sweat pants and… and everything?"

Kurt nods solemnly. "That's not even the worst part. When I thought it was Finn at the door, I kind of… well, I talked like I normally do."

"So, you said 'fuck' every other word like a heathen."

"It's a very versatile word!" Kurt defends and then sighs again. "And I cursed even worse when he came in-"

"Wait, you let him in your house?"

"He practically demanded it! He… he said that 'it would be wise if I let him in'," Kurt mocked in a high, uptight voice, scrunching his nose up. "And then, he went on to say that now he knows I'm a phony and I have to be his homework slave now or else he'll tell the entire school. So that's where I've been. I've been doing Blaine's homework for the past week every day after school."

Rachel lets out a slow exhale, eyebrows raised high. "Wow. I… wow. I definitely wasn't expecting that one. Blaine Anderson is blackmailing you!"

"I know, I know," Kurt whines. "It's positively awful! I have to do his homework and essays and research papers all on top of mine! I have to stay up all night trying to keep on schedule!"

"Well," Rachel begins slowly. "Technically, you don't."

"No, I'm pretty sure I do," Kurt says harshly, irritated boiling under his skin. "Or else Blaine will tell everyone I'm a fake and they'll all hate me. They'll hate me for who I really am, and they'll hate me for lying to them. I've worked way too hard for that, Rachel."

"I know you have, darling," Rachel soothes, rubbing him on the arm. "But what Blaine is doing to you is wrong. It's clearly driving you up the wall, and it's only a matter of time before you crack. Kurt, it's not worth it. Blaine telling everyone about your true personality is _not_ worth this. Besides, I know you for who you really are and I love you. How can you be so sure everyone else will, without a doubt, despise you for it? Just… I don't want to see you lose yourself over some fake persona."

Kurt sighs and closes his eyes. He tries to imagine a world where Rachel is right; where no one will care that Kurt's a liar and a fraud, where everyone will like him despite his foul-mouthed, manipulative ways, where Blaine Anderson's threats and overall existence mean absolutely nothing to Kurt. But then, he sees the real world, the world he lives in. The world where he would return to being the social outcast, where he would be ignored and treated like a nothing, where Blaine Anderson would reign supreme, and he can't do it.

"You don't understand, Rachel," he says softly, voice thick with emotion.

* * *

><p>Blaine's whistling happily as he walks up to his door and unlocks it. He and Kurt had a generally good time today after school. When Kurt wasn't throwing rude comments toward Blaine about how he was a slave driver, they talked about music and theatre, Blaine talked about languages and history, Kurt talked about fashion. They surprisingly have a lot in common, which only slightly lessens the guilt Blaine feels about doing this to Kurt.<p>

He's not a manipulative or vindictive person at all. In fact, the night that he had given Kurt his ultimatum, he had spent the drive home warring with himself over whether to call it off. He was just completely taken off guard by Kurt and didn't know what else to do. The surprising revelation that was Kurt's personality just kind of aided his desire to get to know Kurt better, so he took his idea and ran with it. Sometimes he feels sick for what he's doing, but Kurt's going along with it, so he's not going to stop anytime soon.

"You're in late," he hears his father call from the living room as Blaine passes it. Blaine backtracks and walks into the room, where his mother and father are seated, watching the news.

Harald and Charlotte Anderson are not cruel people, by any means. They love their son, and Blaine never doubts that. But there are some things that he knows they are not okay with, and glee club is one of them. They fought about it at Dalton, and he wasn't sure how they would react to the news that their son joined another choir, so he's failed to mention it.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. School stuff."

"You've had school stuff every night this week, dear," his mom points out. "What all are you doing?"

"Well, I usually just do all of my homework at the library there so I can relax at home."

"You really spend all your time doing academics?" His dad asks, genuinely interested. "Are you not involved in any extra-curriculars? You know, college applications will be released soon, and all of the best choices want outside of school activities. Your grades are impressive, sure, but they'll only get you so far."

Blaine scratches at the back of his neck, relenting and deciding they might as well find out now versus when he invites them to a performance. "Well, I did join McKinley's glee club."

Charlotte has a fleeting moment of looking excited for her son, but the look disappears when she spots the impassive look on her husband's face, and she quickly matches it.

"Glee club? You mean like show choir?" his dad asks. Blaine nods and Harald scoffs. "I thought we went over this with Dalton, Blaine. Your mother and I know you like performing, and we agree that you are talented, but that's going to get you nowhere with colleges, or life, period! What you need is to join a good, solid club that you know admissions committees will pay attention to. Football, soccer, chess club, hell, even the mathletes or something like that. Why, out of all the clubs that McKinley offers, did you have to pick something so… so-"

"Gay?" Blaine challenges, voice cold. He knows that's exactly the problem and, just like that, his good mood dissipates.

"Yes! Gay!"

"Harald! That is unnecessary!"

"Charlotte, it's true! No outstanding college is going to accept a student with gay extra-curricular activities! This will only hurt his chances of getting into law school in the future!" He turns to Blaine. "We only want the best for you, Blaine."

Blaine's heard this argument from his father so many times he can repeat it in his sleep. His father has a knack for taking his own homophobic issues and justifying them with his desire to see Blaine achieve the greatness he was apparently destined for.

"I don't understand why my being _gay_ and being in a _show choir_ has anything to do with my chances of getting into a respectful university," Blaine says tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"It has everything to do with it! The world is not Dalton Academy, Blaine. There is no zero-bullying, zero-prejudice rule out there. Not everyone is going to accept your… lifestyle, admission boards included. And participating in a show choir will only hinder you."

Blaine's so taken aback by the fact that his father actually acknowledged his sexuality, the first time since he came out, that he doesn't even try to press the fact that he disagrees with his father. He bids his parents goodnight, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind as he makes his way up the stairs to his room.

Part of Blaine wonders that if he quits glee, his parents might accept the fact that Blaine's gay. It's a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things, although the thought of not performing hurts a lot more than he thought it would. But his dad hadn't said anything rude to Blaine _personally_ about being gay, and that makes Blaine wonder if maybe there's a chance that being gay doesn't really matter to his parents; that they really _do_ want what's best for him and glee club would hurt him in the long run. He thinks about Kurt, wonders what Kurt's parents think of Kurt being gay and being in glee club, and if they're just as against it as his own parents.

It's the first time in his life he's faced the decision of giving up something he loves, and he's not sure if it's worth it. But then again, for his parents to be proud of him despite his sexuality is worth a lot.

He falls asleep that night with his mind heavy with thoughts of glee club, parents, college, and a certain blue-eyed boy.


	5. Desires

**Sorry this took so long to get up! I've been ridiculously busy. This chapter is rated NC-17 because of blowjobs and facefucking (kind of), and self loving. We also have some Kurt angst and progress. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>If you were to ask Kurt if he enjoys his time with Blaine every afternoon, he would turn his nose up, fake gag, or scoff at such an idea.<p>

However, deep down, Kurt doesn't exactly _hate_ his time with Blaine.

There are times when Kurt is close to bitch-slapping that stupid grin off of Blaine's face. He has more images of bashing Blaine's face into the desk than he can keep count of. But there are a few times, _very few_ times actually, where Blaine is pleasant to be around.

"What do your parents think about you being in glee club?" Blaine timidly asks one day while Kurt is revising Blaine's (well, _his) _essay over Othello. Kurt shrugs.

"My dad's all for it. He thinks I should be able to go after what I want and do what I want, no matter what. I mean, he doesn't really ever get to come see our performances because of his work, but he supports me." Kurt bites his lip, slightly uncomfortable at the wistful look on Blaine's face and continues. "Carole supports it, too. She thinks it's a healthy way of expressing myself. Then again, Carole's such a sweetheart, I think she'd support me being a serial killer or a werewolf or something."

"Wait, Carole?"

"Huh? Oh. That's my step-mom. Finn's mom. He's not _actually_ my brother." Kurt shudders at the idea of being blood related to Finn. The boy means well, but... no.

"Oh, wow. I had no idea. That's so interesting. What about your mom? What does she think of you being in glee club? Does she ever come to see your performances?"

Kurt freezes. He hates talking about his mother. Absolutely hates. He knows Blaine means no harm; how could the boy have known? They know absolutely nothing about each other. But irritation stills claws underneath his skin and he really just wants to throw a textbook across the room and jump out of the nearest window.

"Um, well." He clears his throat, hating how awkward this is, even after all these years. "My mother's dead."

Now, it's Blaine turn to freeze and he blushes deeply.

"I-I am _so_ sorry, Kurt, I had no idea," he stammers, eyes wide.

"Of course, you didn't," Kurt bites back harshly. "It's not as though I talk about her." He settles back into his chair, eyes fixated on the papers in front of him. He's already said too much and he wishes Blaine would just leave the subject, _and him_, alone. "Just drop it."

"Of course," Blaine says quickly. There's only a moment of silence before, "So, what do you do in your spare time?"

Kurt groans as he rubs at his eyes tiredly. Really? Blaine's doing _this_? "I told you already. I sing. I design clothes. I bake."

"Well, yeah, but what do you _really_ do?" Blaine presses, a playful glint in his eyes. He holds his hands up defensively when Kurt cuts him a glare. "I'm not saying you don't do those things, but what else does the _real_ Kurt Hummel do?"

Kurt can't stop his eyes from widening slightly. It's so strange for someone to actually be interested in him; the real him, not the fake person created for everyone's enjoyment. He's caught so off-guard by the strange feeling of acceptance and emotion bubbling up in his stomach, causing his heart to swell, that he can't even come up with a snarky comment and he just answers.

"Um, well, sometimes I play video games with Finn," He explains as he makes a mark on the paper in front of him, a small smile playing on his lips. "He always asks me, and I try to act all put upon and annoyed, but it's a lot of fun."

"Wow. I can safely say that is not an answer I was expecting," Blaine laughs, eyebrows raised. "What kind of games do you play?"

"Well, I'm quite partial to old Nintendo. Legend of Zelda is my shit, and Ocarina of Time is _clearly_ the best. The storyline in it is just… unmatched by anything. Except maybe Majora's Mask, but really, that game just managed to piss me off. Finn's a big fan of first person shooters; Doom and Half-Life. Call of Duty. Resident Evil. And, god, of course Halo. I have to say, at first I was pretty awful at Halo, but I've gotten to where occasionally my kills are greater than his," Kurt rambles excitedly. He looks up to see a look of great amusement on Blaine's face. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Nope," Blaine answers simply, accenting the 'P'. "But you're totally a gaymer."

"Well, yeah, I'm a gamer… I just told you I played video games." Blaine laughs at him again, and it doesn't irk Kurt as much as it usually does.

"No, no. A _gay-_mer. Someone who identifies as being a part of the LGBT community _and_ the video game community," Blaine recites off easily, like he just randomly has that definition memorized. Kurt's pretty sure he does.

"Oh," Kurt says dumbly, the information sinking in, and he smiles before going back to proofreading Blaine's paper. "Well, I guess I am."

* * *

><p>If there's one thing Blaine can't get out of his head before he goes to bed at night, it's Kurt. Kurt and his smile. Kurt and his scowl. Kurt and his laugh. Kurt and his glare. The way Kurt stretches when he finishes a paper, shirt riding up just a bit so Blaine can see his stomach. The small groan that escapes from Kurt's lips when he gets frustrated with an assignment. It all drives Blaine completely crazy and in the best way possible.<p>

Except tonight. Tonight, he just wants to get some sleep, but everytime he closes his eyes, all he can see is Kurt smiling brightly at him. Kurt caressing his face. Kurt kissing him, so deep it makes his toes curl. Kurt growling at him as he pushes Blaine forcefully against a wall and rips his shirt open-

Woah, wait. Where did _that_ come from? Blaine's eyes fly open, mind racing. It's not exactly uncommon for Blaine to dream about Kurt, whether it be romantic or not. Sure, a few kisses have been shared in Blaine's dreamworld, but nothing beyond that and this… this is new. And although it is a bit nervewracking, it's certainly not unwelcome. But he needs to go to sleep, and he can't let the prospect of fantasies about Kurt keep him awake.

Slowly, Blaine slides his eyes shut again, silently hoping for the same vision to flash across his eyes. Suddenly, his mind finds a phantom version Kurt sitting across from him in their usual classroom.

_He's laughing, beautifully as always, and Blaine can't stop himself._

"_You're so beautiful."_

_The comment stops Kurt's laugh short, a smug look taking its place. He leans over, cupping his hand on Blaine's jaw, and Blaine can feel his heart racing. Kurt is totally going to kiss him. His eyelids flutter shut, anticipating the pressure on his lips, but there's nothing._

"_Do you know what you do to me?" Kurt whispers, breath hot on his ear, his fingers trailing down Blaine's neck and collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake. _

Blaine can't help but mimick Phantom Kurt's actions on his own body, shivering as he does so.

_With nimble fingers, he unbuttons Blaine's shirt, hands dancing down, finger softly pinching a nipple, leaving Blaine a panting, desperate wreck. Blaine shakes his head quickly, looking up at Kurt with hooded eyes. _

_Kurt suddenly picks Blaine up from the desk and throws him on top of it, throwing his shirt across the room. Blaine tries to sit up, to protest, to warn that anyone, a teacher, a student, could come in and catch them, but Kurt pushes Blaine down, hard, and Blaine gasps a little at the slight pain of the edge of the desk digging into his shoulder blade. It's extremely distracting, but not as distracting as Kurt unbuttoning his pants and pulling them, with his boxers, down to his ankles._

"_Shut the fuck up, Blaine," Kurt hisses before kissing the span of Blaine's chest, rolling a nipple between his tongue._

Blaine rubs his own nipple, trying to imagine just how it would feel between Kurt's teeth, in between his warm lips.

"_God, you drive me so crazy, so fucking crazy_," _Kurt is growling against Blaine's skin as he kisses his way down, nibbling at his hipbones, before dipping down, just past Blaine's erection and Blaine whines. Kurt gives him a smug look before placing a kiss on the inside of Blaine's knee and slowly nibbling his way up the inside of Blaine's thigh._

Blaine pinches up his thighs, whimpering and panting. He knows that his thoughts of Kurt drive him crazy, but he's never been this desperate, this needy. He wants Kurt badly.

"K-Kurt," he gasps, both in his fantasy and on his bed

_Kurt places Blaine's cock to his lips, barely running the head across them. Blaine is shuddering, hips twitching. "Be quiet," Kurt orders before sinking all the way down his dick, wet heat enveloping all of his senses and he cries out._

He looks down to find his hand wrapped around his aching cock, and he begins stroking, trying to match phantom-Kurt's deliciously slow rhythm.

_Kurt sucks his way up slowly, practically ripping out Blaine's soul, and Blaine arches his back. He lets out a deep moan as Kurt laps at the head, those intense blue-green eyes, blown with lust, never leaving his own. His hips rock in tiny circles, trying so hard not to just thrust into Kurt's mouth. Kurt harshly sucks up, lingering at the head, and pulls off with a resounding 'pop'. "You can fuck my face if you want to, Blaine," Kurt whispers, and Blaine shudders at the words. "And I know you want to." Kurt immediately sucks back down, taking in all of Blaine's cock. Blaine immediately rolls his hips into Kurt's mouth, hesitantly at first, but then he builds up a rhythm, rolling and thrusting his hips faster and faster._

He moans brokenly as his grip tightens. Before he knows it, he's fucking his fist, hips practically jerking off of the bed as his free hand grips the sheets next to him. His hand too dry to be Kurt's mouth, his calloused fingers in no way soft enough, but _fuck_, it feels amazing.

_Blaine looks down, eyes locking with Kurt's again, and he moans at how abused Kurt's mouth is. It's red, stretched and swollen around his cock, and those gorgeous ocean eyes are tearing up with how deep Kurt is taking Blaine. His hips are snapping into Kurt's mouth, and Kurt fucking loves it. He can feel himself getting close to the edge. Blaine wraps his hands in Kurt's hair as his rhythm falters, pulling tightly. Kurt suddenly whines, moans around his cock as his hands shoot to Blaine's tangled in his hair, and laces their fingers as he surges forward, taking that last amount of Blaine into his mouth. The head of Blaine's cock brushes against the very back of Kurt's throat and he loses it._

Blaine is coming hard over his hand. So hard, his body is practically doubled over from the exertion, toes curling in the bed. He turns his head to scream Kurt's name into his pillow. Trembling through the aftershocks, his body melts into the mattress. He feels somewhat guilty at the idea that he just came his brains out over a fantasy where he fucked Kurt's face, but he's so sated and boneless he doesn't really care. He sleeps soundlessly that night for the first time in what might be years.

* * *

><p>Kurt is starting to crack. The homework load the honors classes have been given over the past few weeks is completely ridiculous, and by Kurt's workload being doubled, he's not sure if he'll make it past these midterms and papers before quitting school altogether.<p>

He looks up to see Blaine staring either at him or the desk, he's not sure, a faint blush across his cheeks, and Kurt sneers at him, lip curled.

"What, Anderson?" he barks, snapping Blaine out of whatever day dream he was having. Blaine blinks, fog slowly disappearing from his eyes.

"Sorry, I zoned out."

"Yeah, obviously," Kurt mumbles as he goes back to his paper. Blaine furrows his brows and leans in, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Blaine, _fucking_ peachy."

Blaine leans back, face emotionless. He crosses his arms and studies Kurt for a long moment before smirking.

"You're breaking. I can tell. You're still holding it together, but there's a nice crack going down that porcelain mask of yours. It's only a matter of time before it comes crumbling down. Just give up, Kurt. Save yourself this torture before you have a mental breakdown."

And Kurt snaps. Literally, snaps the pencil he's holding in half. He looks up at Blaine with such a fierce glare at the boy freezes. He stands up and throws all of the books, the papers, everything onto the floor in a fit of rage as he moves to Blaine, sticking his finger in the boy's face.

"Fuck you, Anderson. Fuck all of this. Fuck your little mind games. I'm had enough of YOUR SHIT," Kurt yells into Blaine's face, and Blaine backs away slightly. Kurt growls in frustration and turns away, pacing the floor, stepping on all the papers now scattered around the floor. He laughs maniacally.

"Okay, mental breakdown, check," Blaine mumbles to himself, looking down at his hands, but Kurt is already too angry to say anything.

"Go ahead. Tell the whole fucking school what you know about me. I don't care anymore. Well, yeah, I do, but I'm done being your fucking slave. And honestly, Blaine? You're just as disgusting of a person as I am. Yeah, you're fucking _blackmailing me_. That's pretty fucked up. And if you tell the school about me, I'll be right there, ready to fucking take you down with me. So what will it be? I hope you're done playing this _fucking_ game because I'm not your _fucking_ toy anymore!"

The room is silent, ringing with Kurt's raised voice, his words spat out to Blaine like venom. Kurt's breathing hard as he comes down, anticipating an answer from Blaine. What he doesn't expect, however, is for Blaine to look up at him with those golden eyes pooled with tears. Kurt takes a step back, confused, and suddenly, Blaine is losing it, too.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine cries out, wiping tears furiously from the corners of his eyes, refusing to let them fall. "I had no idea. I… I mean, I knew this was hard on you, and I felt so _fucking_ guilty for it, but it was the only thing I could come up with." He looks at Kurt, eyes earnest and raw. Kurt opens his mouth to say something, to ask what Blaine means, but the other boy just holds up his hand, gently silencing Kurt.

"I just… so desperately wanted to get to know you," Blaine continues. "I have no friends here, Kurt, and I thought you were so like me, from what I knew about you anyway, but you kept pushing me away. And when I saw you at home, yeah I'll admit, I was trying to intimidate you into being _nice_ to me for once, but obviously, that didn't happen. But the more time I spent with you, the _real_ you, I just found you so incredibly interesting and I hated that I was blackmailing you but I like spending time with you, Kurt. I was never, _never_ going to tell the school about who you really are, but god, if you knew that would you be here with me right now?"

Kurt's frozen. And blindsided. He keeps working his jaw to say something, _anything_, but he's truly at a loss for words. He rubs his hand over his face, trying to figure everything out, trying to put pieces together.

"You mean… you… you faked this whole blackmail thing so I could be your _friend_?" Kurt asks incredulously, like the whole thing is ridiculous, and really, it kind of is. Blaine flushes.

"I… I just… yeah," Blaine finally admits, letting out a slow exhale. "You're just so interesting. Really, you are. I know you might not think that. And you're worried that the entire population would hate you for the _real_ you, and maybe a few people would, but I certainly don't. And when you're not trying to bite my head off, we get along really well."

Kurt thinks about this. Thinks about the few times they've actually bonded here in this classroom. Thinks about being Blaine's friend, and he can't deny the small smile that twists at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We do."

He fixes his gaze on Blaine, studying him as he thinks some more. Whether he really wants to do this, be Blaine's friend, or just go back to ignoring him, even despite how well they get along. Blaine absolutely beams, like a child at Christmas, and Kurt rolls his eyes before he sits down on the nearest desk.

"I'm still really pissed at you about all this," Kurt eventually says, nudging at a few of the fallen papers on the ground with his shoe.

"As you should be," Blaine says immediately, nodding. "But I promise it won't ever happen again. I _swear_ it won't."

Kurt nods, hearing nothing but sincerity on the boy's voice. "And I won't be doing your homework anymore."

"Of course not," Blaine laughs brightly before shrugging, smiling playfully. "Besides, I always went home and changed most of it anyway."

"Fucker!" Kurt yells, taking a plastic apple off of the teacher's desk and throwing it in Blaine's direction. Blaine shields himself with his hands, still laughing, and Kurt's laughing, too.

Blaine wipes a few tears from his eyes as his shoulders continue shake with laughter and he looks over at Kurt, silence taking over the room. Kurt looks at Blaine thoughtfully, before biting his lip and giving a short laugh. He bends down, picks up the papers, and walks over to Blaine, placing them on the desk.

Blaine is beaming again, bouncing out of his chair as he stands, and thrusts his hand out for Kurt to shake.

"Friends?"

Kurt stares at the boy's hand, eyebrow arched, for so long, Blaine begins to hesitate, and shrink back. He suddenly grabs the boy's hand, shaking it firmly, as he allows a smile to his lips.

"Friends."


	6. Admissions

**Here's the most recent chapter! Thanks for the amazing feedback, guys. This chapter is rated PG-13 for language (oh, Kurt and his F-bombs) and intense situations of the violent nature. ****Also includes quite the development _and_ a Glee version of a duet where all the best parts are cut out for time reasons. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>They've swapped out sitting in an empty classroom while Kurt does their homework for sitting in the library and doing their <em>own<em> homework, or sitting in the choir room, singing and dancing while sometimes doing their homework. Kurt doesn't seem to mind not leaving the school until late, and Blaine would much rather not be home any earlier than absolutely necessary, so the system they have now works perfectly.

Things started off a little awkward between Blaine and Kurt. An occasional glance at Kurt that quickly turned into a stare, which only meant Kurt got snappy. Those moments where Kurt's façade would easily slip into place and Blaine would remind him it was unnecessary, which only meant Kurt got snappy. A few moments where Blaine, completely oblivious at times, would say something insensitive about Kurt's interests without even realizing it, which only meant Kurt got snappy.

Blaine enjoys his time spent with Kurt, though. Kurt's the closest thing he's had to a true friend since before he transferred to Dalton his freshman year, and he doesn't particularly care how pathetic that may sound. He cherishes his friendship with Kurt, strange as the friendship is, and would say that Kurt is his best friend without any hesitancy at all.

There's just one issue. Well, a few issues. Blaine's main one is his growing feelings for Kurt. Now that Kurt doesn't hate his guts anymore, the daydreams of kissing Kurt senseless have only gained in number. He tries to swallow the desire to lean over and gently swipe away the bit of bang falling onto Kurt's forehead; he tries to attribute his crush on the basis that this is the first gay (and openly gay, at that) boy who's even so much as paid attention to him, much less been nice to him, so it's completely natural to develop some romantic feelings. However, it's just so damn hard when Kurt grins at him, eyes bright and wild, as he talks about his grand plans after graduation. It's hard to not feel his stomach flutter when Kurt sings and twirls around the choir room without a care, freer than Blaine will ever feel, and more beautiful than Blaine can put into words. Blaine spends every night, panting as he comes down from wicked fantasies about Kurt, wishing that he could just get over it.

Blaine also wishes that Kurt could just see how incredibly perfect his true self is. Blaine loves the fact that he and Kurt are complete opposites: where Blaine is reserved, Kurt is loud and brash; where Kurt is outgoing and thrives off of the attention of others, Blaine is shy and would prefer to be in the background. They balance each other well, and the differences between them never fail to put a smile on Blaine's face. The fact that they're friends is not a secret to the student body, but the irony behind it is lost on them. When Kurt's façade says something that Kurt's true self would _never_ say, and Blaine can't stop laughing… he wishes they would all understand why.

Unfortunately, Kurt is adamant against that happening. Ever. For some strange reason that Blaine can't quite put his finger on, knowing that Kurt will never show everyone else the real him breaks his heart. He supposes he should feel special, that he's one of the few who gets to see Kurt like that, but he thinks, _knows_, that everyone would love Kurt for who he is. And watching Kurt slip the mask on and off is tiring for him, so he can't imagine how Kurt must _really_ feel. He has to develop a plan.

* * *

><p>Kurt has to say that having a good friend <em>besides<em> Rachel after all these years is a bit strange. He's getting used to it, though, and thoroughly enjoys Blaine's company. However, all the time that he's spending with Blaine is not being spent with Rachel. And he can see the slight anger in her eyes as she stomps down the hallway toward him.

"Where have you been? We were supposed to have Barbra Streisand Marathon Wednesday after school yesterday and you never showed!"

Kurt closes his locker and shrugs. "I was up here with Blaine."

"You're _still_ doing that awful deal with him?" Rachel hisses, looking around the hallway. "Kurt, I know you're extremely worried about him telling the school about your secret, but I promise you, I can read people like a book and Blaine is obviously _not_ going to tell anyone. If he wanted to destroy you, he would have _done_ so already. And I, for one, will not stand idly by while you spend all your time around that little-"

"Hey Kurt!" Blaine greets with a wide grin, which Kurt returns easily.

"Hey yourself," Kurt says slyly, smirking at Rachel's wide eyes.

"-Creep," she finishes lamely. She clears her throat, shaking her head to get her thoughts together. She looks back and forth between Blaine and Kurt, clearly confused, before glaring at Blaine.

"I have a few choice words for you, Bow-tie Boy. You have no right to treat Kurt this way! He's a lovely person, and you should seriously reconsider your stupid little plan because it will get you nothing but hatred from those of us who love Kurt and know about your blackmail plans. Well, right now, that's just me, but I hate you for it! I actually thought you were a really nice boy when you first came to McKinley, but you've proven me _beyond_ wrong, and mark my words, I will-"

"Rachel, Rachel!" Kurt manages between laughs, highly amused by both Rachel's impressive rant and the look of sheer terror on Blaine's face. "Let it go. Blaine and I are okay now."

Rachel looks at Kurt and frowns. "Wait, so, you're not doing homework with him because he's making you?"

"Nope," Kurt shakes his head. "That ended about a week or so ago. Blaine felt really bad about doing it in the first place and we decided to let bygones be bygones and be friends."

Rachel gasps and smacks Kurt on the arm. "Why didn't you tell me? Oh my gosh, Kurt! You just made me look like such a bitch!"

"That was the plan."

"Oh, Blaine, I'm sorry! I had no idea!" Rachel continues, rushing to pull Blaine into a hug. "I was just looking out for my best friend and you were automatically the bad guy here and I'm so sorry! Any friend of Kurt's is a friend of mine and we'll gladly welcome you into our group. Well, duo. Well, it's trio, now, but semantics! It'll be the three of us now, all best buddies!"

Blaine looks at Kurt with bewildered eyes as he hugs the girl back, and Kurt just chuckles at his two friends, his heart kind of soaring at the idea that now he _and_ Blaine _and_ Rachel are now friends. He ushers them to follow him to lunch, where they sit alone, getting to know each other, catching Rachel up on the Kurt and Blaine friendship, and creating new memories. Yes, things were looking up indeed.

* * *

><p>"I'm in love with Blaine."<p>

Kurt wheels around, nearly dropping his novels for English as he turns to look at Rachel.

"Uh… really? Are you sure? I mean, you've known him for, like, a week. If even that."

"The heart knows what it wants, Kurt!" Rachel pleads dramatically, clutching at her chest. "And I know it wants Blaine. Everytime he smiles at me, my stomach swoops and I feel like singing!"

"You always feel like singing," Kurt points out as he switches books in his locker.

"It's the principle of the thing! Yeah, I always feel like singing, but just looking at him makes me _want _to sing! It's like he gives me new inspiration to be a better performer, if that's possible. He motivates me. _He completes me_."

Kurt sighs, wondering where in the hell he got such a dramatic friend, and looks at her.

"That's all really great, Rach, but why are you telling me this?"

He's a little intimidated by the wicked grin that graces her face.

"Set me up with him. I know you two are closer than he and I at the moment, so you know, talk me up. Make me seem irresistible to him. Find out what he wants and then let me know so I can become his perfect girl."

"Shouldn't you want someone who will love you for you?"

"Well, I promise you that I _am_ his perfect girl, but just in case, I can fake it until he falls in love with me and then he'll have no choice but to love me no matter what!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"Oh, please, please, please, Kurt," Rachel begs, grabbed his hands in hers, tears in her eyes. Kurt takes one look at the pathetic look on her face and breaks. Dating Blaine will make Rachel ecstatic, and Kurt can't deny that they'd be good together. A little incestuous looking perhaps, seeing as they look like fraternal twins, but he can forgive it. Who knows, maybe even Blaine would be a little happier with someone in his life. He ignores the random, slightly jealous pang in his stomach as he nods.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it." Kurt grins as Rachel squeals and jumps up and down, knowing he made the right choice if only for his friend's happiness.

* * *

><p>Blaine's seated across from Kurt in the library, trying to pay attention to his calculus homework, but he's mostly distracted by the way Kurt bites on the edge of his pencil as he reads, or the way he rolls his neck when he stretches, or the way he sticks his tongue out as he turns the page. He shifts in his seat and sighs as he looks down at all the unanswered questions on his page. Blaine used to be a good student, he swears.<p>

He feels Kurt staring at him, and immediately feels himself begin to blush. He hadn't been too obvious, had he?

"So, Rachel's a nice girl," Kurt begins, and Blaine's suddenly confused.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, she is," Blaine agrees, nodding.

"You can't deny that she's somewhat intelligent, extremely talented, and quite pretty, in her own way," Kurt points out, eyes never leaving his book.

"Well, yeah," Blaine laughs, still feeling confused, but he's mostly amused by how Kurt manages to underhandedly insult his best friend at the same time as complimenting her.

Kurt looks up and returns Blaine's huge grin before they both turn back to their homework. After a few seconds, Blaine's confusion sets back in.

"Kurt? Why were you asking me about Rachel?"

"No reason!" Kurt answers in a sing-song voice, grin still playing on his lips. Blaine feels even _more_ confused, so he just brushes it off and goes back to trying to pay attention to his calculus homework.

* * *

><p>A week later, Kurt and Blaine are due to perform their duet. Blaine has no problem with the song Kurt picked out, really. He thinks it's fantastic, and Kurt sounds fantastic singing it. But he has a plan. A plan to help convey to Kurt exactly how special Blaine thinks he is. He marches up to Kurt during one of their after-school meetings with a purpose.<p>

"Hey, Blaine! Are you ready to practice? We're going on tomorrow," Kurt greets excitedly, bouncing on the piano bench.

Blaine nods before taking a deep breath. "I think we should change songs."

Kurt double takes, eyebrow arched in confusion, and he looks a little hurt.

"Why? What's wrong with 'La Isla Bonita'?" Kurt asks, confused. His eyes flash dark and he sets his jaw defiantly. "Is there something wrong with Madonna? Is it because she's a gay icon?"

"What?" Blaine asks, completely shocked. "What? No! Not at all, Kurt, I mean _I'm -_"

"Then what the fuck is the problem?" Kurt snaps.

"I… there's not a _problem_. At all. I just… think that if we want to blow everyone out of the water, we need something upbeat. Something that everyone knows, and you know that the majority of glee club won't appreciate Madonna the way they should," Blaine lies as smoothly as he can manage. He had always been a terrible liar, but he's hoping that Kurt buys this. He gives Kurt a reassuring smile.

The smile remains frozen on his face as Kurt looks him over with scrutinizing eyes for what feels like hours, and when Kurt lets out a defeated sigh and nods, he lets out his own sigh of relief.

"Fine," Kurt agrees sharply. "What did you have in mind?"

Blaine practically stumbles running to the music library in the choir room and quickly returns with two pieces of sheet music. "We'll still have to add some harmonies… I know we perform tomorrow, but it shouldn't be too hard. And we can just divide the verses up to make it easier."

Kurt looks down at the sheet music in his hand and snorts with laughter. "Pink? How very Top 40's of you."

Blaine gives a sheepish grin as Kurt begins to play the beginning notes on the piano. This just might work.

* * *

><p>Kurt stands in the wings, peaking from behind the dingy blue curtains at his fellow club members in the audience. He's not really nervous from a performer's standpoint. He knows he'll be amazing; he always is. He's more worried about the song choice; whether or not everyone will like the song, whether or not everyone will like the performance. He kind of regrets letting Blaine change the song so soon, but hindsight is 2020, and there's no turning back now. Especially as the band begins to play the opening notes of the song and everyone in the audience begins to quiet down. Kurt takes a deep breath and walks out onto the stage.

"_Made a wrong turn, once or twice._

_Dug my way out, blood and fire._

_Bad decisions, that's alright._

_Welcome to my silly life."_

He looks over to where Blaine is entering from the opposite side of the wings, biting his lip in anticipation. He can't help but smile a little as Blaine opens his mouth and closes his eyes to sing.

"_Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood,_

_Miss 'no way it's all good', it didn't slow me down._

_Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated,_

_Look, I'm still around."_

Kurt's heart aches at the emotion raw on Blaine's face, and he swallows thickly before joining Blaine for the chorus, his voice a high and soaring harmony over Blaine's baritone.

"_Pretty, pretty please._

_Don't you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're less than, less than perfect._

_Pretty, pretty please._

_If you ever, ever feel _

_Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."_

Blaine steps forward, taking a deep breath before he carries on.

"_You're so mean, when you talk_

_About yourself, you were wrong._

_Change the voices in your head._

_Make them like you instead."_

He turns to look at Kurt, and Kurt steps forward to sing, as planned. As he sings, though, he can't explain the emotion lodged in his throat or the feeling in his eyes so tight he has to close them.

"_So complicated, look how happy you'll make it._

_Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game._

_It's enough. I've done all I can think of._

_Chased down all my demons, I've seen you do the same, oh."_

He looks over at Blaine, who is smiling softly, and Kurt feels himself nodding. They grab hands and jump on the downbeat before singing passionately toward the audience, where the glee club members are now on their feet, cheering loudly.

"_Pretty, pretty please._

_Don't you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're less than, less than perfect._

_Pretty, pretty please_

_If you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."_

Kurt looks away from the audience as the music slows to find Blaine looking at him so earnestly, his eyes absolutely pleading, and suddenly, everything clicks. Why Blaine wanted to do this song, why this song is suddenly makes him so emotional. He stares at Blaine, eyes wide and jaw slack, as Blaine sings that last chorus to him alone, so soft and sincere

"_Pretty, pretty please_

_If you ever, ever feel_

_Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me._"

He snatches his hand from Blaine as if he's been burnt. The crowd goes insane, and Kurt pulls his eyes away from Blaine's in time to plaster on a fake grin and bow to the audience. He gives a small wave before bolting toward the wings and heading backstage.

"Kurt! Kurt, stop! Wait!" he hears Blaine yelling behind him as he chases him down, but Kurt ignores him. He clenches his eyes shut, willing the tears to stop, as he busts into the men's dressing room. He places his hands against the mirror as he breathes in and out, trying to calm himself down. It isn't long before he hears clunky footsteps as Blaine runs into the room.

"Kurt, what's wr-"

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Kurt hisses, not opening his eyes and remaining in his stance against the mirror. He can hear Blaine fumbling for an answer and he growls as he spins around to face Blaine.

"What were you _thinking_, Blaine?" he cries out, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Please, tell me what the hell was going through that simple little mind of yours, because if it's what I _think_ it is? Not fucking funny. And I don't have the patience for it."

"I was just trying to show you that you don't have to hide who you are, Kurt!" Blaine snaps, and Kurt is taken aback by how forceful the boy's voice is. "You're stupid if you think you're going to be able to do this forever. You're lying to yourself – _lying_ – and as your best friend, I just can't watch you practically destroy yourself anymore. You may not realize it, but this going back and forth between two completely different personalities isn't exactly _healthy_, Kurt!"

"I realize that! Do you not think I realize that? It sucks, really, it does. But you wouldn't know what it feels like to be hated for who you _are_, Blaine. You're perfect Blaine Anderson, you can do no wrong. You're true self _is_ the person that everyone loves. I don't get that luxury because the real Kurt Hummel would be an outcast. A nobody. And I can't _be_ a nobody, Blaine. I can't!"

"You're not a nobody. You wouldn't be a nobody. People would love the real you. People _do_ love the real you! Your family does, Rachel does, _I do_!" Blaine cries out, hitting himself in the chest. He bites his lip and freezes, wondering if maybe he's said too much, but Kurt just sniffs and wipes tears away from his eyes. "Rachel's told me that she's tried talking to you about this, but you absolutely refuse to get rid of this façade. I'm not… I'm not saying you have to, because I'll be your friend no matter what. I just think… I think it's time to drop the act, Kurt."

"You've been talking to Rachel?" Kurt asks, eyebrow raised curiously.

"Yes? I mean, she's my friend. Anyway, that's not the point here, Kurt."

Kurt sighs and moves to sit on the dressing room counter, leaning against the mirror.

"I know what you guys want me to do," he begins softly, so softly that Blaine has to move forward to hear him. "And I really appreciate it. You two don't even know how much you mean to me, and it means a lot that you care. But I just… I can't, Blaine. At least not right now. It's too hard."

Blaine nods and wraps his arms around Kurt in a tight, comforting hug. "I know, Kurt. I know. But we'll be here for you when you decide to, okay? And we'll be here until then, I promise."

Kurt sniffs again and nods against Blaine's chest. He pats Blaine on the back awkwardly (he never was one for physical affection) and pulls back, giving the boy in front of him a soft smile, which Blaine returns.

"So," Kurt begins after a long moment of silence. "You've seriously been talking to Rachel?"

"Just every now and then," Blaine shrugs. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. She's just completely in love with you."

Blaine shakes his head as he starts. "Excuse me?"

"Rachel! She's completely in love with you. Come on, Anderson. I know you're _completely_ oblivious, but she's not exactly subtle."

"I… wow, um, that's really nice, but-"

"I think you two would make an excellent couple," Kurt continues over Blaine's protest. "You're both very attractive, very talented. She's relatively intelligent. And by that, I mean, not as smart as you, but do you _really_ want to date someone _smarter_ than you? You two should go out this weekend!" He finishes with a bright smile and Blaine just laughs in disbelief.

"I'm not disputing any of those points, but, Kurt-"

"But, _what_?" Kurt presses impatiently.

"I'm gay."

Kurt stares at him unblinkingly for a moment before throwing his head back against the mirror as he laughs loudly, his hand curled over his stomach. "Oh, that's something else. Damn, Blaine. If you don't want to date Rachel, just say so, but you don't have to lie!"

"I'm not lying!" Blaine defends, bristling at Kurt's accusation. It only causes Kurt to sputter out more laughter.

"Please! You? Gay? You're hilarious, Blaine. You're about as gay as I am straight. I mean, I would maybe put you at a 1.5 on the Kinsey scale, only because you appreciate musicals and Judy Garland, but that's a _maybe_. And, really-"

"I would think that _I_ would _know_ if I'm really gay or not, Kurt. Especially because I'm pretty sure I've made my feelings for you more than obvious," Blaine yells and turns on his heel. He stomps out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind him, and leaves Kurt completely speechless.

Blaine, his best friend, his former arch-enemy, Blaine Anderson, is gay.

Blaine Anderson is gay, and _likes him_.

It's a lot to take in. He just hadn't been expecting _that_ at all. He gets up, shaking slightly, and walks out of the backstage area and toward the choir room.

He doesn't care that Blaine's gay. Hell, he's more than happy to welcome a fellow homosexual at McKinley. But something about the news twists his stomach in a weird way, one that he can't classify as necessarily _bad_, but it's not good, because it's unfamiliar and new.

He thinks on the way he feels about Blaine. Is it in more than a friendly way? He honestly has no idea. He knows he likes boys, but he's never truly _liked_ a boy before, so he has no idea how liking someone would feel. Does it feel like singing? Or baking? Does it feel like the movies make it feel; where that one person is all you think about to the point that you breathe them and there's no one else? Kurt thinks and thinks and thinks, and by the time he enters the choir room, he's still at a complete loss.

It's not often that Kurt doesn't know the answers to something. Usually, if he doesn't, he can just go look it up in a book or on the internet. This, however, is a completely different situation. One that he's going to have to figure out on his own. And that scares him. A lot.

"Kurt? Kurt, are you and Blaine alright? He came in here like five minutes ago and grabbed his stuff, not saying a word to anyone. And now, you're here, looking like you've seen a ghost. Great performance, by the way! The emotion you and Blaine put into the song gave me complete _chills_. Oh, he's such a natural performer! Like myself, of course, which means that our children are going to be great performers and I'll probably have to enroll them in dance classes as soon as they can walk, but that's not a problem because that's what my dads did to me and-"

"Rachel," Kurt rasps out, interrupting her monologue. "Rachel, Blaine's gay."

"I'm sorry, what?" Rachel laughs, slapping Kurt on the back. "Oh, that's just silly. That can't be true." She falls silent when she sees the look on his face.

"Another one!" She yells to the ceiling. "Another gay! I swear, I must have some sort of disorder where I do nothing but fall in love with gay men. This is completely unfair. I think I'll have to write an auto-biography on this. And, of course, I'll have to star as myself when it becomes a Broadway musical and… Kurt, are you alright?"

Kurt looks up at her with heavy eyes and shakes his head. "He said he likes me."

She makes a little surprised noise as she wraps him up in a hug.

"Do you like him?" she whispers into his ear as she runs her fingers through his hair.

"I have no idea. I mean, I haven't really thought about it because I had no idea he was gay and, god, I told him that and I made myself look like a complete douche. He probably hates me now."

Rachel pulls back and looks at him questioningly, obviously wanting a description about what exactly happened backstage, but Kurt just waves her off.

"Besides, it's not like I've ever liked anyone before," he continues bitterly. "I wouldn't have any idea where to even start when it comes to _feelings_."

He starts when he feels Rachel grab his hand and squeeze tightly. He looks up to find determination bright in her eyes.

"I'll help you."

* * *

><p>Blaine is still cross when he enters his house. How dare Kurt not know he was gay? How dare Kurt <em>ridicule<em> him for the idea of being gay? And then Blaine had gotten _so_ angry and admitted his feelings for Kurt, just yelled them in Kurt's face, which only made matters worse, and Kurt didn't go after him; Kurt didn't feel the same way. It hurt. It hurt so much. This boy, this lovely boy that Blaine would probably cross oceans for, made fun of him, rejected him. It felt like freshman year all over again.

"Oh, Blaine! You scared me," Charlotte yelps as she enters the living room, jumping slightly at Blaine's slumped form as he sprawls on the couch.

"Hi, mom," he answers dully. He hears heavy footsteps from behind him and automatically sits up straight.

"You're home late again, Blaine," Harald comments as he moves to sit in his armchair. Blaine rubs his hands across his face tiredly, trying to get rid of his bad mood, because if his father picks up on it, things won't be good.

"Yeah, sorry, we had a performance for glee club."

And then, he freezes. And he can feel that his mom and dad have frozen as well. How could he be so stupid? How could he have let that slip when it was the one most important thing that Blaine was supposed to keep to himself? He shrinks in on himself automatically. He's such an idiot.

"I thought you quit glee club?" Harald asks, his voice cold, and the armchair squeaks as he gets up, moving to stand in front of Blaine.

Blaine can do nothing but stare up with his father with wide, scared eyes. He can't bring himself to answer as terror seizes his throat. Harald lunges, grabs Blaine tight by his wrists and shakes him.

"You told us you quit glee club! You _lied_ to us, Blaine. I can't believe you would just _lie_ to my face that way!" Harald yells, shaking Blaine harder and faster, and Blaine whimpers at the searing pain in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Blaine cries out, tears in his eyes. Whether he's crying from pain or shame, he's not entirely sure.

"Harald! Stop it, you're hurting him! It's just a stupid show choir!"

"This has nothing to do with that glee club! He lied to us, Charlotte! We didn't raise our son to be a filthy, fag liar!" Harald shouts at his wife, before turning back to Blaine. He stops shaking him, although the grip around Blaine's seems to grow impossibly tighter, and he leans in close to Blaine's face. Blaine immediately cowers, turning his head away, squeezing his eyes shut in a juvenile hope of _I can't see him, he can't hurt me_.

"You will never, and I mean _never_ lie to us again, do you hear me Blaine?" He hisses into Blaine's face, and Blaine nods so furiously, his neck aches. Harald steps back, dropping his arms, and Blaine relaxes slightly. Suddenly, his dad grips Blaine tight around the wrist and throws him to the ground. Charlotte shrieks but Blaine immediately stands up, wobbling slightly as he makes his way up the stairs and to his room.

"Make sure of it, Blaine," Harald calls after him before returning to his armchair.

That night, Blaine doesn't dream of Kurt as he usually does. He can't even be angry at himself for spilling his feelings for Kurt and possibly ruining their friendship. Blaine doesn't even sleep. All Blaine can do is hold his bruising arms, cry, and wish hopelessly upon stars.


End file.
